WWII in Europe

1. Some important bits WWII in Europe

2. One turning point: Stalingrad • Germans fighting in Russia since mid-1941 • Winter ‘41, stopped outside Moscow and Leningrad, but spring/summer of ‘42 pressed on • Hitler wants to wipe out industrial center of Stalingrad – Stalin wants to keep it • BRUTAL combat – Germans take most of the city but are stalled by another winter • Russians bring in fresh tanks and launch massive counterattack, surround the Germans – German surrender in January 1943 • Russians lose est. 1,100,000 soldiers in defending Stalingrad

3. Operation Torch • Additional front would divert attention/materials from Russian front • Largely-American forces land in Northern Africa • Force Erwin Rommel (“The Desert Fox”) to surrender and Germany is kicked out of Africa

4. Italy • Allies discuss where to attack next • America wants an invasion across the English Channel, but Churchill feels it safer to handle Italy first • Summer of ‘43, capture Sicily, Mussolini is deposed and arrested • However, Hitler puts up vicious defense to stop the Allies

5. D-Day (Operation Overlord) • MASSIVE invasion to begin June 5, 1944 (delayed a day due to weather) • Cross the channel, capture beachheads upon which to land more soldiers and materiel • Very nasty German resistance, but after 7 days, beaches were secured • By fall of ‘44, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg were freed

6. Battle of the Bulge • Allies pushing toward/into Germany itself • Hitler launches desperate offensive to try to recapture port of Antwerp • German tanks break through allied lines, causing bulge in the front, but after a month of fighting, pushed back to essentially original lines • Germans lose 120,000 troops, 600 tanks/guns, 1,600 planes that it can’t effectively replace • Beginning of the end for Germany in war

7. Nice little Discovery Ed piece • Correlates very nicely with 25.2